MEC launches media special school in Meadowlands
Letsibogo was officially relaunched on Tuesday, June 13 by the Gauteng Education and Youth Development MEC.
Top performing all girls only black township high school in Meadowlands is the latest to transition to a school of specialisation (SoS) marking it the first in the district.
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Letsibogo was officially relaunched on Tuesday, June 13 by the Gauteng Education and Youth Development MEC, Matome Chiloane as the 23 Maths, Science and ICT SoS in the province.
It will focus on Media and Communication as per the education department’s object to equip learners with technical skills.
The school has a television and radio studio, programmes offering Artificial Intelligence learning such as coding and robotics and creative programmes in graphic design and social media.
Speaking at the event, the MEC said the school was identified as a result of being one of best achieving schools in Gauteng, achieving an average of 98% over the last eight years.
He stated that it was vital for the Department to teach and prepare learners to respond to the unknown future that included technological advancements and 4IR.
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“The rationale behind the focus is to expose learners to media and communication beyond just the usage of social media,” he said. “…It is important for learners to become acquainted with the pros and cons of the media and of communication. They need exposure to the arena of media and communication to become the next generation of reporters, journalists, and presenters. The grooming starts here and now.”
He conceded that the education department across the country needed to stay ahead of the curve and predict change in time to seize the opportunities ahead.
“We are living at a time when digital technologies have essentially permeated all sectors of the economy to the extent of shaping the very texture of our everyday lives.”
In addition, MEC Chiloane said his Department was changing the landscape of education with the multi certification programme which will see learners equipped with other skills beyond the syllabus starting from Grade 1.
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He said was necessary to prepare learners to be ready for the job market as entrepreneurs and not job seekers and enable them to meet the economic needs of the province.
“The multi- certification programme will rethink education, because we want to start at that level – primary school.
“But for now because we know we are catching the tail end that’s why we are in high school.
“Ultimately we want to get that focus at the level of primary schools so that by the time they get to high school they know what they want to achieve, which schools to choose.”
The school is the second School of Specialisation to be launched this year.
